France says Israeli detention of its 2 diplomatic staff in Jerusalem 'unacceptable'

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The French Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that two staff members of France's Consulate General in Jerusalem were arrested by Israeli security and later released after the minister intervened.

"As part of a trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the minister (Jean-Noel Barrot) was due to visit Eleona, a French national estate," the ministry said in a statement.

Noting that Israeli security forces entered the site under the French administration "armed without authorization," it said: "The minister did not wish to visit the estate under these conditions."

Calling the actions “unacceptable,” the ministry said the arrests took place even though the staff members are agents with diplomatic status.

"They were later released after the minister intervened," it noted.

"France condemns them all the more vigorously as they are occurring in a context where it is doing everything it can to de-escalate violence in the region," it added.

The statement said the Israeli ambassador to France will be summoned to the ministry in the coming days.